Corned Beef

Ingredients

• 7 pounds brisket or chuck roast (nothing thicker than 2")
• 1/4 pound canning salt
• heaping 1 cup of sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp potassium nitrate (#1 pink powder) NOTE: DO NOT USE MORE than recommended.
• 1 T whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Use a plastic container (this quantity fits an ice cream bucket well). Put a thin layer of salt on the bottom. Add a layer of meat. Sprinkle with salt. Continue layering until all salt is used; the top layer must be salted.
2. Let stand 12-18 hours in a cool place (I used the basement).
3. Dissolve sugar, baking soda and saltpeter in 1 quart of warm water; add 3 qts. cool water. Pour liquid over meat. Weight the meat under the brine (I just made sure it was topped off).
4. Put into a refrigerator. Check in 3-4 weeks. Should be a bright red color. I waited about 5 weeks.
5. Remove corned beef. It will be a slimy brine now. Cover corned beef with cold water. Add peppercorns, bay leaves and cloves.
6. Boil, then simmer 1 hour. Remove meat and cut into pieces for packing. Discard spices. Vacuum seal or double wrap in saran wrap and freezer containers.